"Today, 6,900 WestJetters are receiving notices of both voluntary and involuntary leaves due to the impact of COVID-19. This is devastating news. We commend those who are standing down so that our airline can stand up," the company wrote on Twitter late on Tuesday.

It comes after Air Canada, the country’s largest airline, said last week that it was laying off 5,000 employees due to a cut in flights. It noted that the layoffs would be temporary, with employees being moved to "off duty" status in the company.

As the coronavirus spreads across borders, governments introduce entry bans and travel restrictions in a bid to contain the outbreak. According to the most recent statistics compiled by Johns Hopkins University, over 428,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 19,000 fatalities have been confirmed globally to date.

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